I’ve been so busy working on other design projects that I haven’t shared much here about a few minor updates I made in my home last year.
One of them was something I’d been wanting to do for a very long time!
Here was my fireplace last year with some slate tile surrounding the fireplace box and on the hearth. I had that done probably 20 years ago, as it was painted white when we moved in, with cheap 12 x 12 plain ceramic tile on the surround and hearth.
I still like the SW Black Fox color of the mantel and I like the tile there being dark. I didn’t like the variation of the slate though, I wanted something simpler and more solid looking.
Fireplace BEFORE the 2025 update.
I have been wanting a change since 2016 when I redid my kitchen. I used limestone tile on the floor in a dark charcoal/chocolate brown color and purchased enough to come back in later and redo the fireplace in that same stone. It’s been in my garage and then in my storage unit since then.
This year I finally made that change and I love it. The fireplace looks less busy and with all my SW Aesthetic White walls, I love the dark, solid appearance the limestone tile makes.
New limestone tile going on the fireplace that will blend in with the mantel color.
Here’s the new, solid color limestone tile installed at the fireplace surround and hearth, below. Matching the grout to the tile made for a seamless look. I love it!
The other thing I wanted to do at some point was a new cabinet for my tv, but honestly, I just didn’t care to go to all the trouble with it right now. I did, however, really want to redo the cabinet doors and drawer fronts that were really builder grade basic MDF and chunky looking.
I wanted to remove the slate tile countertop here too and just do a painted wood top.
BEFORE - Builder basic MDF cabinet doors and slate countertop to be replaced.
I had some new, cleaner-lined door fronts made that were bigger and covered up more of the face frame of the cabinet. I added cabinet knobs that match some elsewhere in the house and then painted the new plywood top to match the mantel, SW Black Fox.
Wow, does this look better to me.
New doors and drawer fronts on the existing cabinet, as well as a new painted wood countertop gave this build-in a cleaner look overall and looks more up to date.
This can tide me over for another year until we decide how long we will be in this house. We’re always looking, as we’ve been in this house over 20 years and never planned on being here that long. We have grown kids now and once my husband completely retires, we could move anywhere. I could do my work anywhere, if I wanted to continue on.
For these jobs above I used Mr. Handyman of The Woodlands. This wasn’t a big enough job for a general contractor so a handyman service served us well. Plus, the contractors I normally use for clients were busy working on those projects, so I didn’t want to pull them away for my little job.
That was it for 2025 (besides gardening)! I do have some plans for 2026 though. :-)
Home Updates for 2026!
I have already started an order to replace my shutters in the kitchen with some Hunter Douglas shades. That will open up these windows to bring in more light and enable me to have a better view of my garden.
I love to sit at this table and sketch up my projects, make my to do lists, have a coffee, etc. I have arm chairs here for that reason, it is more than a dining table for me, it is a work table.
We had wanted to replace our Jenn-air downdraft cooktop with a new induction model that they came out with last year. We saw it in person at KBIS in Vegas and it looked perfect for our location and needs.
The BIG problem with downdrafts and gas cooktops is that the flame is drafted sideways over to the vent. In our case, it even causes the flame to go out on one side of the burner with the other side leaning over towards the downdraft! It’s crazy looking and really ineffective. It definitely makes for uneven cooking on the burners when in use.
With induction, a downdraft like this can work better because the heat is just transferred directly to the pot without a flame. So, although you are still fighting gravity with the suction pulling sideways and then going down, by nature just less effective, you are at least getting even heat for cooking.
Alas, we don’t have the right power in the island wired for it (even though we have electrical in the island and had an electric cooktop there prior to having gas). It would be a big deal to attempt that redo. Bummer! We both really wanted induction.
We’ll be replacing the one we have with another gas cooktop with a downdraft, that will hopefully be fully functioning, at least.
Lighting Change in the Kitchen
I’m also going to change out the glass round pendants I have over my cooktop. I really liked the look of these back when I had them installed in 2016, but they’re very common now and I’m wanting to do more of a flush mount, monopoint type light. I’m really over Edison bulbs too, where you see the filament.
Honestly, we don’t turn these on much because they don’t give off that much light.
Current kitchen 2025 - I’m ready to change out the glass pendants for monopoints and get a new cooktop.
As I’ve noted, a downdraft venting system is not the greatest, no matter what brand you have. We do get grease clinging on to those glass shades and have to clean them by taking them down and doing a thorough job every month. I’m a little tired of that!
I’ll likely do some monopoint type fixtures at the ceiling, as I really like the look of these and they are a very current lighting trend these days. I rather like that they are up and out of the way, but still add some detail to the ceiling.
Wall Decor Change
Another update I randomly decided to do was change out this wall of carved wood stamps. They’re used to block print fabric and they were handed down to me from my husband’s grandmother, she’d gotten them many years ago from an antique shop.
I put them up when I remodeled my kitchen in 2016, and I’m just a bit tired of them. They do tend to get knocked about a bit here at the garage door and they are rather hard to keep clean with all the grooves and carving.
2016 kitchen remodel completed
When my MIL passed last year I received the last of her copper collection. I had some already but they had been in storage. I decided to pull it out and change out the wood items with the copper.
I’ve always loved the copper in my blog friend’s kitchen, Mary Ann Pickett of Casual Classic Home. These were in her San Francisco home when she lived there.
This wall of copper molds at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa was jaw-dropping.
And of course, Martha Stewart’s copper, like what I saw in her restaurant, The Bedford, in Las Vegas, is always a favorite.
It has been a process of polishing that copper. While I like the look of a patina, as these are all really aged, some of them were so brown and dirty, you couldn’t even tell they were copper.
Here’s all of my MIL’s collection, in a first layout. You can see how brown many of the pieces are.
Here are two of the pans, before and after.
Some polished up better than others, but I like some patina. I used Barkeeper’s Friend, that was the best for copper.
I had forgotten about some pieces that I had purchased when I lived in Norway. I remember finding these vintage copper Christmas pieces in an antique shop there, so I polished those up too. I had them stored away too.
I laid them out on the floor, cut out paper templates of the items and then applied them to the wall first. We had just patched and painted the wall and I didn’t want to make too many extra holes!
First copper pot on the wall! I ordered some simple brass hooks to hang some of the pieces that had rings or handles.
I love seeing a change here and it feels so much brighter. I’ve always loved these and think they look great here. :-)
My new “old” copper wall. I even have space to collect a few more! :-)
I’m going to do some garden changes, removing some photinia I planted for privacy about 5 years ago that are not thriving. We have a lot of shade with some big oak and pine trees around.
I’d prefer something that grows faster and stays in more of a vertical shape that is really dense, so I can block the view of the house behind ours. I just want to look out and see green.
We put in some Eagleston hollies behind our pool and that’s what I want to continue all across the back of the fence. The hollies have been here 2.5 years and are thriving and look great.
Then I can pull up my new Hunter Douglas shades and have a full view of my back yard with a wall of green (someday) that wraps our garden. :-)
Here’s my fireplace today, with clippings from my recent monstera plant pruning, all in water to root some new babies.
Guess I need to do some polishing on the brass and silver some day too. :-/
I’ll be photographing my big whole house remodel soon. It is still not quite done. I have a bathroom remodel that is under construction now and two more that are in the design process.
If you are looking to start a remodel this year, I’m taking projects to start design in June and July now. If you want a minor project to be finished by the holidays this year, it is a good idea to contact your professionals now.